


Worth

by kissmyapplejuice



Category: GabeNath - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Budding Relationship, Canon Compliant, F/M, Mentions of alcohol, Mild Language, Pre-Canon, Start of the Gabriel Brand, mild fuck Emilie juice, pre-adrien, pre-emilie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28139499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissmyapplejuice/pseuds/kissmyapplejuice
Summary: It’s been seventeen years since Nathalie and Gabriel sat in the cramped studio working hard to get the brand of the ground, and now he can’t help but reflect on those long-forgotten years.Before Emilie. Before Adrien. Before the money and fame.As he looks at her across his desk...he wonders if it was all worth it.
Relationships: Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 34
Kudos: 56
Collections: GabeNath Book Club and Art Club Server, GabeNath Reverse Bang 2020





	Worth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ShadowMayura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowMayura/gifts), [Dragongirl180](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragongirl180/gifts).



> Hi, hello everyone and welcome to my GabeNath Reverse Bang piece! I'm so excited to be presenting to you MONTHS of hard work.
> 
> Special shoutout to the wonderful [Shadow Mayura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowMayura), who without their art, this piece wouldn't have been possible. Please go check it out [here](https://shadowmayura.tumblr.com/post/637865834285498368/fic-worth-author-kissmyapplejuice-ao3-beta) on their tumblr, and give them ALL of the praise because they deserve it. Thank you for being such an amazing teammate, and allowing me to write this story for your piece. I hope I have done it justice, and I hope you like it.
> 
> Another shoutout to this spectacular human, [Dragongirl180](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragongirl180/pseuds/Dragongirl180), who beta'd this fic. Without her...it would have been a straight-up mess, so thank you so much for dealing with me and my overuse of commas. I love and appreciate you.
> 
> Anyway on to the story!

“Sir.” Gabriel’s focus is torn away from his newest sketch toward the direction of the familiar voice, and there, like always, was Nathalie standing like a statue in his office door. He notes the large box in her hands and silently lets out a groan knowing that it was just more work.

“What is it, Nathalie?” He leans back into the chair of his design desk, pinching the bridge of his nose to try and quell the headache forming between his eyes. It had been a long day filled with back to back meetings with his department heads and a slew of calls from various clients. Some were happy with their products while others were complaining about the smallest details. There hadn’t even been enough time to slip into the lair to look for an akuma victim because if he was being honest, the most prevalent emotion he had been feeling was his own bubbling frustration. Then, on top of all of the company problems, Adrien had been sending him a constant barrage of text messages asking if he could go to a friend’s swim meet after school. All of these factors had put Gabriel at his wit’s end, leading him to agree to the request without a second thought. The only thing that gave him peace was knowing that his son was probably thrilled.

“Some of the garments from your new collection have arrived for approval.” Nathalie’s voice pulls him out of his lamenting, but his eyes remain shut as he hears her faint footfalls steadily approach him.

He finally looks up at her as she softly places the box in front of him, and when she sees the forlorn look on his face, she gives him a warm smile that causes his heart to skip a beat. He wishes he could return her expression, but when his eyes fall onto the box in front of him, the flutter in his chest immediately stops.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Gabriel stands, stretching his legs for the first time in hours, “Very well. Let’s get this over with."

Nathalie and he go over each garment, scrutinizing every detail of their construction, and with every piece, Gabriel begins to wonder why he even bothers paying these people. If the contents of the box tell him anything, everyone in the department was incompetent and couldn’t read a design brief. One of the blazers was the wrong color. A shirt, the wrong fabric. Every single article of clothing seemed to have something that strayed from the original design. 

“Nathalie,” Gabriel falls back into his chair, hanging his head in defeat.

“Yes, sir?” Nathalie's attention is on him momentarily, but she quickly returns her focus to one of the dresses that had shoddy seam work. He watches in fascination as she reaches over to grab a seam ripper from his desk, her eyes remaining fixed on the garment in front of her as she starts to rip out the poorly made seams. It had been a long time since he had seen Nathalie do anything like this, almost seventeen years in fact. Before the fame, the money, the multiple stores, Adrien and Emilie. Seventeen years ago, it had just been him and Nathalie in a cramped studio in a run-down community art space.

As the memories start to flood his vision, he feels a faint blush start to bloom on his cheeks. Gabriel clears his throat, shaking away the thoughts. His eyes still remain trained on her fingers as she begins to repin the dress’ hem, not missing a beat as she looks back up at him. 

“What is it, sir?” Nathalie’s question brings him back to the situation, and he feels another sigh leave him.

“Do only idiots work in the manufacturing department? These are all abysmal.”

“I can call the Head of Manufacturing tomorrow and sort this out.”

“Can you just fire them instead?” The corner of Nathalie’s mouth quirks into a smirk as she threads a needle.

“Sadly, that is a much more expensive and fortuitous process than just simply reprimanding them. Klaus’ contract is very specific about what he gets if he’s fired.”

“I imagine you, the only competent person who works for me,” Gabriel turns his attention to her face, “can figure out a way around it.”

Nathalie turns her face back to him with a familiar curve on her lips, and Gabriel is overcome with the distinct feeling of déjà vu at the sight, “I’m not going to do that.”

Her attention falls back to her work, weaving the thread through the fabric with ease, and Gabriel thinks about this remarkable woman in front of him. She had proven herself to be more than just the assistant that he had hired seventeen years ago. She'd shown him that her worth went far beyond the excellent secretarial skills that he had taken her at face value for. She had become an asset to him in both his personal life and the Gabriel brand. He knew he would be lost without her.

Nathalie looks back up at him, her gaze now soft as she gives him a slight smile, and Gabriel feels his heart skip another beat. Nathalie Sancoeur had so much more worth than that.

* * *

**_July 2003_ **

Nathalie sits nervously in her chair in the hallway of the community artist space. She had been watching applicant after applicant walk away from the door bearing the “G” logo in a huff. Suddenly, the door in front of her was setting her anxiety on edge.

“It’s just an interview, Sancoeur.” Her leg starts to bounce as she reads her resume over for the fifteenth time, trying to spot some nonexistent error that would give her an excuse to run.

“Next!” A baritone voice calls from inside the room. Nathalie shifts her eyes to her left and her right, and she realizes that she’s the only one left. Taking a deep breath, she stands, smoothing out the creases of her black skirt before stepping through the door. The studio is smaller than she had imagined. Dress forms line two of the walls, some of them are draped in the most fantastical designs while some were half-completed, pinned like they were the beginnings of an idea. She looks at the sketches and fabric swatches that are plastered all over the bulletin board, looking in fascination at the myriad of colors. Her eyes fall on one of the sketches, and she lets her jaw drop as she stops in her tracks. The design is a short blue dress with an ombre cascade drape hanging from the right side that floats like a waterfall to the floor.

It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Her fingers trace over the linework, the curves of the sketch flowing like a river. Her touch finally reaches the ‘G’ that is holding the draping to the dress, and she knits her eyebrows together as she studies it.

The sound of a throat clearing behind her startles her out of her admiring, and she lets her hand drop instantly to her side like a child caught doing something wrong. Nathalie slowly turns toward the sound and is met by the face of Gabriel Agreste. Her heart drops to her stomach. His light hair is slicked back in a popular style, and he’s in nothing more than a simple button-down and slacks. Simple and clean. Everything about him screaming power and authority. Suddenly, she feels very exposed under the watchful gaze of his gray eyes seem to pierce through her from behind his glasses.

Nathalie straightens her posture as though to tell herself that she isn’t intimidated. She, Nathalie Sancoeur, is afraid of no one, especially not a potential employer. She looks back at Gabriel with just as much stoicism as he was exuding, “Monsieur Agreste.” 

Gabriel raises an eyebrow at her as he holds out his hand, and she puts her resume into it without question. Nathalie waits with bated breath as he reads over the paper in front of him. His facial expression was giving her no indication of what he’s thinking. 

“Mademoiselle Sancoeur,” Gabriel draws out her name, trying to seem uninterested as he turns away from her. Her eyes follow him as he circles around his desk, sitting down and leaning back in his chair. His eyes never leaving her resume, “You graduated top of your class at École des Hautes études Commerciales de Paris, a remarkable feat.”

“Yes, sir.” Nathalie takes a seat across from him, poising herself with confidence. Her time at HEC Paris had taught her a lot, and her internship with one of the top management firms had given her a great number of skills. She was confident in herself and her abilities, but for right now, none of that mattered. All that mattered right now is proving her worth to Gabriel Agreste.

“So why,” Gabriel finally casts his gray eyes up to meet her face, “would you be applying for a measly assistant job with me that can probably barely cover your bills? I can see from your resume that you’ve worked with the best and can have whatever you desire in terms of a career, yet here you are.”

His words give her pause, but without hesitation or fear, she replies.

“Can I be frank with you, Monsieur Agreste?” He gives her a curt nod, and though her exterior says collected, her hummingbird heartbeat flutters underneath her chest, however; she knows her answer. “I’ve been watching your career since the beginning of my final year at HEC. You’re a designer who is unafraid of taking risks even though some in the fashion world would call you a fool. Now, I won’t pretend to know a lot about clothes or design outside of my love for looking over the pictures in the magazines, but I think you are a good investment. My schooling has taught me to jump on investments when you can and use your skills to build them up. I believe the Gabriel brand is going to do groundbreaking things, Monsieur Agreste, and I want to help you in any way that I can. I want to make sure that you can build your empire. I want to be a part of something great, and I know your brand has the capacity to be that. Sure, this might start as just a measly assistant job, as you call it, but I believe that it can be turned into more.”

“So,” his lips quirk into a slight smile as he steeples his hands under his chin, “this job is just a stepping stone.”

“Just like I assume that this studio is for you,” Her hand gestures to the room around them, “unless you plan on staying in this space after your brand takes off.”

“You seem confident that you’ve got the job.”

This time, it’s Nathalie’s turn to smirk, “Well, Monsieur Agreste, everyone else who has entered this room has lasted less than three minutes in your presence. Some of them were even on the verge of tears by the time that they left,” Nathalie looks at her watch, “and I’ve lasted almost five, and feel more intrigued by you than anything. Though it may be bold of me to assume, I think you’ve already decided to give me the job.”

“You’ll do nicely, Mademoiselle Sancoeur.” Gabriel sets her resume down as he stands, extending his hand to her. Nathalie tampers her excitement as she follows his lead by standing. He flashes her a genuine smile for the first time, and she feels her heart flutter in her chest, “Let’s see what the best of HEC has to offer.”

“I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

“We shall see, Nathalie.” 

The way her name rolls off his tongue causes a shiver to run down her spine, and suddenly Nathalie feels well and truly screwed as she shakes hands with him. “I expect to see you bright and early Monday morning because if what you say is right, we have an empire to start.” 

Nathalie pulls her hand away and starts walking towards the door, but stops and casts one more look at him over her shoulder, “Sir?”

“Yes, Nathalie?” He faces her again, one of his eyebrows arched with curiosity.

“You will see, sir, that I am frequently right.” She quickly exits into the hallway with a smirk, breathing a sigh of relief before silently rejoicing. It wasn’t the best pay, but it was a start. She had all the faith in the world that Gabriel had the ability to do magnificent things. 

Meanwhile, Gabriel looks at the closed door of his studio with a soft chuckle. His new assistant really was a piece of work. As he settles back into his chair, he looks down at her resume sitting in front of him. When he begins to read it over again, Nathalie’s haunting blue eyes and vivid red streak begin to invade his mind.

“Nathalie Sancoeur,” Her name has a beautiful rhythm to it as it falls from his lips, “I have a strong feeling that you and I are going to do amazing things together.”

He pulls out his sketchbook to one of his newest pieces and starts to color it a striking red to match with the visions dancing around in his head.

* * *

**_September 2003_ **

Gabriel stares at the multitude of drawings strewn across his desk and silently curses to himself. He didn’t know how he and Nathalie were going to get them all done. Since hiring Nathalie, his sales had been steadily increasing as more and more people were becoming aware of the brand. Nathalie was a genius at marketing, but the only problem that he found with her surprise talent was that now he had a multitude of orders that he wasn’t confident he could fill.

He turns his attention to the woman who had inadvertently become the source of his stress. She pins some of the dark purple silk to one of the dress forms, and it slowly starts to resemble one of the sketches in front of him under her delicate touch.

“How does the neckline drape again?” He watches as she cranes her neck back in an attempt to look at the drawing that she is trying to bring to life. Gabriel gets up, walking over to observe what she had done.

He looms above her since he’s a good foot taller than her, and Nathalie can’t help but note how perfectly she fits under his chin. The familiar warmth grows in her chest as Gabriel takes her hands into hers, adjusting their position on the form. Her heart skips a beat like it did every time he was around her or when he looked at her with a slight smirk or that one time he had brought her coffee. She holds her breath as his chest presses into her back as he reaches for one of the pins in the cushion on her wrist.

He lowers himself so that his face is more level with the design, and as she is _very_ aware of, the nape of her neck. Nathalie silently screams at his unconscious action when his soft breath tickles across the sensitive skin, causing her to subtly shudder against him.

“Cold, Nathalie?” She feels a blush creep across her cheeks as the puff of his breath flows past her ear.

“No, sir.” Gabriel takes a step back once the fabric is pinned into place, but his weight and heat still linger around her, almost like a blanket.

“There, that’s better.” He smiles down at her, and she gives a half-hearted one in return as she watches him walk back to his desk.

Her blue eyes fall back to the dress in front of her, its neckline now perfectly placed, and whispers quietly, “Unfortunately sir, I am, in fact, very warm and very screwed.”

She takes the next panel of silk and starts to pin it to begin to form the tight skirt as she tries to quell the butterflies in her stomach.

“He is your boss, so kill this little crush right now, Sancoeur.” Her mental voice scolds her, but it doesn’t stop her from looking back and watching him scribbling furiously over half-finished pieces. _Yep_. Fucked was a much better word to describe her situation. 

Once he feels her gaze fall away from him, Gabriel lets his own attention turn back to Nathalie. His body still on fire from their brief touches, but he tries to tamper down the welling bubble in his heart. She was his employee, but as he looks at her face, scrunched in concentration, he starts to feel that she might be more.

* * *

**January 2004**

Gabriel looks at the ticking hands of the clock and notices how late the hour was, and then he realizes how royally fucked he was for time. He takes a drag of his cigarette and silently curses himself for picking up the habit again, but stress is a monster that makes you do crazy things. There were still orders that needed to be finished and less than twenty-four hours to do it. He runs his hand over his face dreading the long night ahead of him.

“Hello, sir,” He jolts up as Nathalie’s voice appears out of the blue next to him, two cups of coffee in her hand. 

“Nathalie, what are you…?”

“There’s work to be done, right?” Gabriel notices the small smile on her lips as she extends a cup to him.

“Yes, but I told you that you could go home almost three hours ago.”

“I did. I took a nap, showered, and changed my clothes before going to get us coffee.” 

She motions to the coffee still in her hand, and he takes it with some hesitation.

“You don’t have to.”

“Look, sir, the presentation is tomorrow,” Nathalie’s eyes scan over the room in front of her as she brings her drink to her lips, “and we are nowhere near ready.”

“No,” He takes a sip of the drink, the warmth seeping into his bones, “no, we aren’t.”

“And, I _personally_ really want to still have a job after tomorrow, so,” she tightens the bun in her hair with a smile as she takes her place across from him, “let’s finish.”

Even in the late hour, after a full workday, Gabriel admires that Nathalie still has the determination and loyalty to keep going. _For him_.

“Nathalie, you really don’t have to." He watches her pull the thread tight before snipping it, and she tucks the scissors safely into her hair before rolling her eyes at him.

“I know, sir,” She threads the needle and begins stitching the panels of fabric together with such artistry that he could have sworn she had been the one who had gone to school for design, not him. However, what fascinates him most is the slight smirk and soft glint in her eyes as she looks at him. “I want to.”

Gabriel sighs, finally giving in to the fact that he knew nothing he said was going to make her leave, so they get to work. He makes adjustments to some already finished pieces, and Nathalie takes her spot next to him, running her eyes over the work.

“No.” She turns on her heels without another word walking back over to their workbench.

“What do you mean, no?!” He steps back and looks at the red vest from her angle. That’s when he notices that he had stretched the lapels too tight in his attempt to extend the corset-like middle downward. _Damn her._ Gabriel quickly makes the adjustment before spins towards her with a glare.

“Nathalie.”

“Yes, sir?” Her blue eyes cast him a look over her shoulder, and it causes his heart to stop. He feels his mouth go dry at the sight of her, and his mind goes completely blank. Her seemingly innocent look and phrase will now be forever ingrained in his brain as the time that he, Gabriel Agreste, a stoic man who prides himself on being in control of his emotions, started to fall for his assistant. He is a damned man. Clearing his throat, he tries to get a handle on his emotions while she turns back toward him, a look of curiosity on her face.

“Thank you,” He tucks his hands behind his back to hide the nervous twitches of his fingers, “for your assistance.”

“It’s my job, sir. It’s what assistants do. Assisting is in the job description,”

“We both know you’re more than just an assistant,” Nathalie chuckles and takes one of the Gabriel brand logos into her hand, twirling it between her fingers.

“I know.” She turns back away from him, finishing the jacket she had been working on by sewing the silver ‘G’ into the buckle. “One more piece, done.” 

“Only,” Both of their eyes scan over the table littered with half-finished projects, “I don’t know...a dozen more to go?”

Nathalie’s eyes shift towards the clock, and her lips quirk into a smirk, “It’s only two AM. We have time.”

“Wish we had more.” She shrugs at him and takes the scissors out of her hair before cutting out a new section of paneling.

“We don’t always get what we want.” Nathalie feels those words hit her heart a little more than they should as she steals another glance at Gabriel as he begins to finalize his works.

It’s nearly seven AM by the time that they finish all of the work. Every piece passed, both his and Nathalie’s inspections, with flying colors. With the final garment on a dress form, Nathalie falls onto the futon with an exasperated sigh that causes Gabriel to laugh. 

“What’s so funny?” He walks around his desk, pulling out a bottle of whiskey that he has stored in the bottom drawer.

“Your sigh.”

“What about it?” She watches his hands with intense focus but tries to force her attention to anything else in the room.

“You didn’t have to come back. I gave you an out.” Gabriel pours the brown liquor into their used coffee cups in hopes she would join him in a celebratory drink.

“You couldn’t have done this without me.”

“How right you are, Nathalie Sancoeur.” He approaches her, extending her cup to her, mirroring the scene from earlier in the evening, but unlike him, she readily takes his offering.

“I’ll tell you once, and I’ll tell you again. I’m...” 

“Always right,” Gabriel finishes her statement, and he catches the faint blush that starts to spread across her cheeks. He takes a seat next to her with a smile, allowing himself to sit closer than normal. His small action sends shockwaves through the two of them as their bodies brush against each other.

“To you, Nathalie, I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without you.” Nathalie feels her cheeks grow hotter under his gaze, but she quickly clears her throat as she raises her own glass.

“To you, sir, without you, none of this would be possible.” As they toast and drink, Gabriel and Nathalie feel the pull to move closer. Their hearts overriding their brains, but Nathalie comes back to herself. She’s not willing to ruin their professional relationship for a crush. Gabriel can’t help but be filled with defeat when he sees her pull away while nervously sip at her drink.

They sit in silence. Their eyes focusing on the wall in front of them as they both try to avoid the electricity in the room. It wasn’t the time or the place for them to explore that possibility. However, Gabriel is the first to break under the weight.

“Nathalie?” When she doesn’t respond, Gabriel looks over to see that Nathalie is fast asleep with her cup tucked into her hand as she curls into herself. He smiles at the peaceful expression on her face and the innocence at the scene in front of him. 

Gabriel takes the cup out of her hand and her glasses off her face, placing everything safely onto the workbench before trying to get Nathalie into a more comfortable position. However, it turns out that Nathalie is not a person who is easily manipulated, nor is she a light sleeper. The deadweight of her body falls onto him, pinning him underneath her, but Gabriel can’t find it in his heart to try to put her into a less compromising position because, to be honest, he selfishly wants her to be this close. He allows himself to settle in as Nathalie cuddles deeper into his chest, and he feels the burdens of the day fade away under her touch.

He starts to caress the red streak in her hair, silently questioning whether he should be doing it or not. However, he never gets an answer to his question as he feels his eyelids begin to fall under the weight of exhaustion.

* * *

**_February 2004_ **

Gabriel roams the park by his office, a habit he had formed after that cold night in January. He and Nathalie had avoided the subject of what had happened that evening whenever it would come up in conversation, and he was starting to feel a strain of his heart whenever he was around her.

The uncertainty of the unknown.

The tension of unexpressed feelings.

Despite those feelings, they both took every opportunity to spend more time with each other. She, by spending more time in the studio than she needed to, and he, usually offering to buy her breakfast after their long nights together.

They were now both constantly questioning whether or not they were ever going to address the growing unspoken relationship.

However, Gabriel had no idea if any of this was affecting her since nothing seems to affect her. She was carrying on as if nothing happened, which was bothering him more than anything. He wanted answers. He wanted to talk about it. About them. He wants to hold her again…

“Look out!” Gabriel looks up just in time to collide with a woman running along the path. The impact comes in full force, and he braces himself as he’s pushed down to the path. When his eyes flutter back open, above him is a beautiful blonde with bright green eyes.

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention.” The woman pushes herself off of him, her body wrapped tightly in warm running clothes, and she tries to help him up.

“It’s fine.” He winces as he moves, the back of his head aching from the impact.

“You’re hurt.” She brings him over to a nearby bench, and Gabriel is slightly intrigued by this stranger who was determined to help him.

“I promise, Miss, I’m…”

“Emilie,” Her pink lips curl into a sweet smile as she checks the back of his head. “My name is Emilie.”

“Gabriel.” He can’t help but return her smile as her fingers lightly run through his unkempt hair.

“Sorry to have met you this way, Gabriel,” He feels slightly disappointed when her gloved hands return to her lap, “but there doesn’t look like there’s going to be any permanent damage.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Again, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Emilie.” He watches her go to stand, but she hesitates before sitting back down.

“I have a question, but I’m afraid of what you’ll say.” Her tone is hesitant as she looks back at him.

“Well, you’ll never know the answer if you don’t ask.” They both smile slightly at each other, and he watches as she takes a deep breath before turning to fully face him.

“Would you go out to dinner with me?” Gabriel is taken aback, her green eyes reflecting his confusion back at him.

“I’m sorry?”

“Would you like to go to dinner,” Emilie squares her shoulders back while placing her hand onto his, “with me?”

“I don’t…I’m already...” Gabriel stumbles over his words as he tries to wrap his head around her question. He had Nathalie. Kind of. Didn’t he? Plus, going to dinner with a woman he had just run into was ludicrous. Wasn’t it?

“Oh,” She quickly pulls her hands away from his, “you’re already seeing someone. It was foolish of me to assume that someone that looks like you wouldn’t be.”

“I’m not...actually. Not really.” Gabriel feels the conflict grow in his heart as he thinks more about Nathalie. They weren’t an item, and they were never going to be. The silence and the implications loom in the air between them, and Emilie feels the air grow heavy around her.

“Again, I’m sorry for not paying attention,” She gets up, extending her hand to him, “it was a pleasure to meet you, Gabriel, but I have lunch with my friend, Audrey Bourgeois, and I can’t be late.”

His ears perk up at that name. Audrey Bourgeois was one of the most prevalent fashion magazine directors, and if this woman knew her, she was perhaps his golden ticket into launching his brand. Gabriel feels a pang of guilt eat at him as he thinks about using the woman in front of him, but he quickly brushes it away, deciding to focus on the dinner question first. The more that he thinks about it, the more the idea of going to dinner with her doesn’t seem so bad. She was pretty. She had been kind to him in their brief interaction. Perhaps with time, there could be something. His mind drifts back toward Nathalie with a feeling of heavy sorrow, was losing her worth a shot at advancing his brand? It was their ultimate goal after all.

“Gabriel, are you okay?” Emilie’s soft voice lilts through in the air, breaking his train of thought.

“Yes, just thinking.” He smiles warmly up at her, taking her hand into his. 

“About the woman that you’re interested in.” The disappointment on her face is evident as her gaze falls away from him. 

“No,” He says, placing a kiss onto the back of her hand, “I was thinking about taking you up on your offer to dinner.”

“Oh!” Her green eyes go wide as she looks back at Gabriel, and he can see the joy dancing behind them, “Really?”

“Why not?” Gabriel stands, towering above her as he pulls out the small notebook that he uses to do quick sketches. Flipping to a blank page, he extends the book to her, “Can I have your number so I can call you?”

“Yea,” Her smile widens as she quickly jots down her information, “I look forward to your call, Gabriel.”

“I look forward to making it, Emilie.” Emilie gives him one last glance before running off, and as she disappears, the sinking feeling returns to Gabriel’s stomach as he looks at her name and information.

_Emilie Graham de Vanily_

“Nathalie will always be there for you. She’s shown that. However, you can’t wait around for her to decide, and opportunities like this are once in a lifetime.” He tries to reason with himself as he tucks the notebook away, dragging himself back to the studio with a heavy sigh.

* * *

**_April 2004_ **

Gabriel walks into his studio, feeling a weird weight on his shoulders. It had been two months since he had started seeing Emilie, and it was...fine. She’s a nice person, but there was something about her that didn’t always feel sincere. He had just thought it had to do with her upbringing in the blue-blooded society of France. Complacency and charm had been something that had been drilled into her from an early age, but after meeting her twin sister, it appeared that Emilie just had a dry personality. Her jokes and stories usually fell on deaf ears because they were never that good. Plus, his focus was always elsewhere, whether it was on his fashion designs, his business, or Nathalie. It didn’t matter. It was never her.

Emilie, however, was opening doors for him that he knew would have never been possible without her name and connections, and for that, he knew he would always be indebted to her. Still, his heart sinks every time she genuinely tries to take an interest in the thing he likes since he knows that he’s still being pulled in another direction.

“Good morning, sir.” Nathalie’s voice pierces through his thoughts as she hands him his typical cup of coffee the minute he enters the studio. One sugar to cut the bitterness and a dash of cream to soften the cheap taste of the diner’s brew. She knew how he liked it even more than he did.

“Thank you, Nathalie.” He smiles at her as he takes it from her, and she smiles back with a warmth that warms his soul.

“Of course,” Nathalie takes a sip of her own coffee before picking up a package that is sitting on his desk. “This arrived for you today. I think it’s your new fabric swatch book.”

“Oh, perfect. Can you open it for me?” He puts his arm around her shoulder while he lets the coffee sink into his bones. Nathalie feels her breath hitch as Gabriel leans closer as she begins to peel away the paper. Once she is distracted, Gabriel feels his eyes stray to her face, and he takes in her features like that he didn’t already have them memorized. 

“Nathalie, I —”

“Honestly, do you really need another one? The one that you have is perfectly acceptable.” The paper gives way, and Nathalie turns to look at him with a questioning eyebrow. Their closeness doesn’t go unnoticed by either of them as both of them stare at each other, daring the other to make the first move. Nathalie curls the book closer to her chest as the tension fills the air. Her heart tattooing itself to the inside of her chest as their breaths mingle together.

“Of course, I need another swatch book,” the corner of his mouth quirking into a smirk. “I’ve heard that every fashion designer has hundreds of them lining their walls, so I figured I would start my collection early.”

Nathalie can’t help but roll her eyes as she lets out a laugh while she begins to flip through the pages of different watches, “You already have half of these.”

“Ah, but that’s where you're wrong, Nathalie,” Gabriel leans closer down, his breath hot against her cheek before pointing to a red silk swatch on the page, “I only have this fabric in blue,”

“How is that relevant?” Gabriel lets out a snicker as he feels her gaze turn towards him, “Silk is silk.”

“Dyeing fabric changes how the fabric feels, so even though I already have a blue silk swatch. I need a red one because I want my clothes to feel as good as they look.”

“You’re insane. You know that right?” Gabriel gives a noncommittal shrug before turning to face her with a smile.

“That’s half the fun of working for me, isn’t it?” Nathalie feels the familiar blush return to her cheeks, and it burns brighter when she notices how close Gabriel is to hers. The distance between them doesn’t go unnoticed by him either. Both of them stare at each other, but Gabriel knows his eyes keep flickering down to her lips.

He could give in now. He could give in to his latent feelings that he had been burying for so long. It would be so easy in this position, and judging by her expression, she wants to break their cycle, too. Nathalie feels herself lean in closer, and Gabriel can barely contain his hummingbird heart as he feels the same pull.

“Gabriel!” The door to the studio bursts open, startling the pair apart and breaking the moment. Gabriel’s disappointment at the separation is short-lived as his blood goes cold out of pure terror when he sees that it’s Emilie at the door. He quickly looks over to Nathalie and sees the confusion written on her face as she wonders who the mysterious blonde woman is.

“Emilie, what are you doing here?” Emilie beams at him as she throws herself into his arms.

“You’ll never believe what I did for you today!” Emilie’s arm wraps her arms around his neck, and despite the contact, Gabriel still can’t wrap his head around the situation. He was just about to kiss Nathalie, but now Emilie was here. In his office. The office he shared with Nathalie. His arms remain firmly at his side as everything in him tells him to run to get himself out of this unfortunate predicament of being between the two women in his life. Neither of them knew about each other, but really, what was there to know? He and Emilie weren’t exclusive. She had been seen on multiple dates with a few other actors and social elites. Nathalie was his...well, she was just his assistant, no matter how much he wished there could be more.

“What?” He holds his breath as Emilie leans away, excitement still very evident on her face. Nathalie makes a slight movement, and Emilie’s attention is immediately captured by it.

“Who are you?” Nathalie looks between the blonde-haired woman and Gabriel with much more professionalism than Gabriel could have at the moment.

“I’m Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel’s assistant.”

“You have an assistant?” Emilie’s sharp green eyes quickly flick back to Gabriel, jealousy and anger evident behind them. The sight takes Gabriel for a loop. _Why was she mad about that?_

“Yes, Nathalie has been working with me for almost a year. She’s essentially the only reason anything gets down around here.” He lets out a chuckle before he casts her a look filled with appreciation, and the soft look in his eyes causes Nathalie’s heart to flutter.

“Well, now you have a new woman in your life who gets things done for you.” Nathalie and Gabriel watch their worlds come crashing down around them at Emilie’s words.

“I don’t...what?” Gabriel tries to recatch Nathalie’s gaze, but disappointment is written all over her face as she slowly starts to back away from him.

“Guess who got you a lunch meeting with _the_ Audrey Bourgeois?” Gabriel’s ears perk up at Emilie’s words. _This was it_. Her connections had finally gotten him a seat at the table with one of the greatest fashion magazine directors in the world, “I showed her some of your designs, and she fell in love with them. She kept calling them otherworldly.” Emilie smooths down the lapels of his jacket and pouts when he doesn’t respond the way she wanted, “Say thank you, Gabriel.”

Gabriel is too stunned to even speak. However, Nathalie does what she does best, and manages his life and his words.

“That’s excellent news, sir.” The stoicism in her voice causes his heart to break a little. His double life really was falling apart around him. She walks over to his calendar, looking at his availability, “When did Missus Bourgeois want to have lunch with Mister Agreste, Miss…”

“Graham de Vanily. Emilie Graham de Vanily.” The last name hits Nathalie like a ton of bricks. The Graham de Vanily’s were well known throughout France as being in control of the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. Nathalie can’t stop the disappointment that runs through her when reality sets in.

Gabriel had chosen this woman and no wonder. Emilie would be able to do more for him than she ever could.

She buries those feelings deep down though and returns to her task at hand, “Of course, Miss Graham de Vanily, what day?”

“Next Thursday at Le Grand Paris at around one o'clock.” Emilie turns her attention back to Gabriel with a smirk while Nathalie tries to not let Emilie’s smugness get to her.

“Of course.” Nathalie pencils it in before looking back at the couple in front of her. Emilie is practically hanging off of Gabriel, but she notices the slight uneasiness of her boss’s expression and posture. It gives her a faint amount of hope.

“Now, Gabriel,” Emilie taps his nose with a smile that counteracts her harsh tone, “say thank you.”

“Thank you.” The words feel like gravel in his mouth, but the squeal that Emilie lets out is the thing that really grates on his nerves. She kisses him quickly on the lips before pulling herself away from Gabriel.

Nathalie’s heart drops at the sight.

Weren’t they...hadn’t they almost..?

“Well, I have to get to rehearsal, but I will see you tomorrow for dinner, darling.” Emilie gives him one last kiss, putting more passion into this one, before turning her attention back to Nathalie, the look of petty rivalry clear on her face, “It was nice to meet you, Natasha.”

“Nathalie.”

“Yes,” She smiles smugly before walking out the door, “Nathalie.”

The silence of the room causes Gabriel and Nathalie to shift uncomfortably in their places. The quiet piercing into their psyches as a cold sweat begins to pool under their skin, and with each passing second, Gabriel knows that whatever relationship he and Nathalie had was over.

“Nathalie, I can expla—” Nathalie holds up her hand, silencing him in an instant.

“It isn’t any of my business what you do outside of these walls. I’m just your assistant,” as the words fall from her lips, her posture returns to a rigid stance as she tries to mask her heart breaking, “but I think I will personally go drop these sample drawings off to the appropriate places instead of waiting for the postman to come and get them.”

“Of-of course.” Gabriel sets down his coffee and looks at Nathalie, silently begging her to look at him.

“I will see you after my lunch break.” Without missing a beat, Nathalie grabs the stack of files and her purse before bustling herself out the door. Gabriel reaches out, wanting to stop her so he can tell her that Emilie was just a means to the end. He just wants to let her know that he was falling for her, but Nathalie rebuffs his attempts to touch her. So, he watches her leave.

As Gabriel strips off his coat and sinks into his chair, he hangs his head low.

These feelings weren’t worth any of the prospects they might bring.

* * *

**_September 2004_ **

Gabriel smiles and waves at the sea of paparazzi as he and Emilie enter the venue for fashion week, but his forced expression immediately falls when the flashing fades.

They were officially an item, and since then, Gabriel had only seen his career and his brand skyrocket. No longer were Nathalie and him toiling for hours over his designs, trying to make them perfect. Instead, there is a team of workers doing it instead, and the two of them were free to whatever they wanted within reason. He was able to give her a promotion and raise that she justly deserved.

However, Nathalie had become more cold and distant as the months went on, becoming more and more robotic. Gone was the flirtatious banter and longing stares. It had been replaced with ‘yes, sirs’ and ‘no, sirs.’ Which made sense since he was her boss, but he longed for the sassy woman he had hired that kept him firmly planted on the ground.

He had chalked it all up to stress. After all, this was what they had been working for.

This was the product of all of their blood, sweat, and tears.

_Paris Fashion Week._

Though as time went on and the more he thought about it, the more he was unsure of his reasoning.

“Gabriel.” Emilie places a tender kiss on his cheek with a smile, breaking him out of his thoughts. He takes a deep breath before facing her.

“Yes, my dear?”

“Where is that assistant of yours?” Emilie’s hands go to her hips as she lets out a huff, “she needs to tell me where my dress is for the show.”

“I don’t…” Nathalie appears at their side as if she knew that she was being talked about, and Gabriel’s heart sinks. Gone were her fun-colored clothes and loose hair, replaced by a smart black suit with a simple red blouse. Her hair done up in a perfect bun.

“Nathalie?” He could hardly believe that the woman in front of him was the same person that he had gotten to know in the last year. The one who had stolen his…

“Yes, sir?” Nathalie looks up from her schedule with a stoic expression, confusing him even more. She always smiled when she looked at him.

“Where is my dress, Nadine?”

“Nathalie,” Emilie’s inability to call her by her actual name was starting to grate on Nathalie’s nerves, but no one would ever be able to tell. Nathalie prided herself on not letting Emilie get under her skin, “and it is in your dressing room. It’s the first door on the right.”

“Excellent.” Emilie leans up, placing a claiming kiss on Gabriel’s lips before sauntering away with a sly smile. Once out of vision, Gabriel turns to Nathalie, but her focus is on the color-coded event schedule.

“Nathalie, what happened?”

She looks up at him, indifference on her face, “What do you mean, sir?”

“You look…” Gabriel gestures to her, “different.”

Nathalie feels her skin prickle at his statement. He had made his choice and solidified their relationship. She was just now accepting it rather than dwelling.

“I don’t know what you mean, sir,” She straightens her posture, “I’m your assistant, and I should look the part now that the brand is taking off.”

Gabriel watches Nathalie in disbelief as she turns on her heels, returning to the chaos that was Fashion Week without a single look back.

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

“Gabriel?” Gabriel’s memories fade as he finally focuses back on Nathalie. He frowns slightly as he thinks about how much she had changed since her interview. He missed her edgier style, the one that had been replaced with a more refined wardrobe, but as Gabriel looks down at his own clothes, he realizes that he had also shifted in that direction.

The warmth of their early days seems muffled in the vast black and white marble of his office. He can’t take it anymore. In a flash, he stands and takes her hand, pulling her towards the door.

“What are—?”

“We’re going somewhere.” Gabriel didn’t even know what he was doing, but he knew there was only one place he wanted to be right now.

A quick drive later, Nathalie and him are climbing the familiar staircase of an old community building, which is still as run-down looking as it had been all those years ago.

They stand in front of the familiar door, still embossed with the Gabriel brand’s “G.”

“What are we doing here, sir?” 

“I need to fix something.” He pulls out the key, unlocking the door. He had kept the space as a reminder of where he had started...and maybe, _unconsciously_ , because it was where _they_ had started.

“Oh wow,” Nathalie’s eyes roam over the dust-covered furniture and the old sketches from the early days. Walking into the studio was like stepping back in time, “I had no idea that you kept this old space.”

Gabriel smiles as he runs his hand along his old desk, disturbing the caked-on grime before taking a deep breath. Despite the mess, he knows that this is where he needs to do this.

Where he needs to be to set things right.

He turns to look at Nathalie, her fingers brushing over the designs still pinned to the corkboard. Hopefully, it would all be worth it. Heading over to the shelves, Gabriel pulls a book from the wall, a very specific swatch book. 

“What’s that?” Nathalie starts making her way back towards him, hovering next to him like she always did, “A swatch book?”

Gabriel blows away the years of neglect, “Not just any swatch book. It’s special.”

“What’s so special about this one?” He watches as Nathalie’s hand opens the book, flipping to the exact page he wanted which causes Gabriel to smile. She always knew.

“This one has a red silk swatch,” Gabriel feels his heart to speed up, his stomach dropping to his feet as panic begins to set in, “I only had it in blue, remember?”

He holds his breath and waits.

Nathalie hears the words and is instantly taken back to that day from sixteen years ago. They had been positioned much like this. They had almost…

Her cheeks burn red as she thinks about how Emilie had come bursting in, ruining whatever fantasy she had about her and Gabriel.

“That was the day I met Emilie.” Disappointment sets into both of them as the old feelings begin to stir.

“Funny, I remember it as the day I nearly kissed you.” Gabriel closes the book, placing it back onto the shelf before turning to meet her confused expression.

“Sir, I don’t…” He takes her hand into his, causing her to immediately stop talking as the warmth of his touch spreads throughout her.

“I wanted to kiss you that day,” Nathalie’s blue eyes meet his sad, gray eyes, “I had actually been wanting to kiss you long before that day.”

“But Emilie…”

“I decided that starting my brand was worth more than following my heart,” his gaze drifts away from hers, “but you’ve always been here despite me giving up on what we could have had.”

Her own gaze falls to their hands and watches as their fingers intertwine while Nathalie holds her breath.

“How can I ever be worthy of someone as remarkable as you?” Gabriel pauses before continuing, “But I want to try.”

The world around Nathalie stops.

“And I know that I will have to work to show…” He doesn’t even get to finish his speech before Nathalie is pulling him towards her by his ascot, covering his mouth with hers. Gabriel feels a forgotten electricity pulse through him as their lips move together. His being humming with excitement as he pulls her closer.

As their kiss comes to its natural end, Nathlie’s grip doesn’t loosen nor do her eyes open.

“Nathalie?” He presses his forehead against hers and nearly gasps when he sees a solitary tear run down from the corner of her eye.

“I just don’t want this to be a dream.” Nathalie feels her resolve slowly breaking as her eyes flutter open, her gaze slowly meeting his.

“It’s no dream,” Gabriel’s thumb wipes away the tear, “I’m here and very much in love with you,”

Nathalie lets out a soft chuckle as her hand falls from his ascot, allowing her to curl into his chest, “I’ve waited seventeen years to hear you say that."

“I’m sorry that I made you wait so long.” Gabriel presses a kiss onto her forehead, causing a soft smile to spread onto her lips as she lets out a sigh of relief. 

“It was well worth the wait.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed this labor of love. Leave me a comment and a kudo. I would appreciate it so very much. Again, go check out the art on ShadowMayura's tumblr, and go enjoy the rest of the Reverse Bang 2020 pieces!
> 
> Love,  
> KMA


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